A 4,000 new home settlement planned for between York and Harrogate will be under scrutiny this week.
A public hearing into the Maltkiln development will begin at Harrogate’s Civic Centre tomorrow (17 September), and it’s scheduled to run all week.
A government inspector will also examine North Yorkshire Council’s development plan document.
The document includes details of the site’s boundaries the impact on local transport, and how the development will combat the effects of climate change.
The council has a major say in the scheme, as it’s the largest allocation for housing in the agreed Harrogate local plan.
They’ve stated that the document, “sets a clear and ambitious thirty-year vision” for Maltkiln.
If the plans are approved, the scheme would be built near the villages of Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.
Public sessions
During the examination, the inspector will hold public sessions where interested parties can make representations about the plans.
The inspector will also look at whether the plans have been properly consulted with local residents and whether the developer and council have met objectives on matters, such as biodiversity and transport.
Following the hearing, the inspector will then publish a report recommending whether or not the council can adopt the development plan, whether it’s legally sound, and if any modifications are needed to make the homes deliverable.
During the examination tomorrow, key players such as North Yorkshire Council, the developer Caddick Group and local parish councils will read out statements and respond to questions from the inspector.
A representative of the Dent family will also be speaking during the hearing, who was previously one of the site’s major landowners.
However, they withdrew following talks with the council that broke down in December 2022.
Whether Maltkiln can move forward without Caddick owning 42% of the intended site will be a key issue for the inspector to consider.
North Yorkshire Council has said it would be prepared to use compulsory purchase orders (CPO) to force a sale, “as a last resort”.
In a statement that’s due to be read tomorrow, the council said it’s working with government housing agency Homes England, and specialist consultants on preparations for the CPO being used.
For more information about the hearing, and a timetable for the week ahead, click here.